Essay name: Atharvaveda ancillary literature (Study)
Author:
B. R. Modak
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Department of Sanskrit and Prakrit Languages
The essay studies the ancillary literature of the Atharva-Veda with special reference to the Parisistas. It does so by understanding the socio-cultural and philosophical aspects of ancient Indian life. The Atharvaveda addresses encompasses all practical aspects of life from health and prosperity to rituals and sorcery.
Chapter 1 - Ancillary Literature of the Atharvaveda (other than the Parisistas)
179 (of 255)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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the other Vedas. It is difficult to say why the Kaus. and
the Vait. were included among the Kalpas when they were
usually referred to as Sutras. However, it may be noted
40 that the Wait. says at the end (43.46), that he who
studies these two Kalpas (namely the Vait and the Kaus.) and
who knows them will secure the fruit of performing all the
sacrifices and will have all his desires fulfilled. It is
true that under the Kalpas have been brought together texts
of very different value. It is also not unlikely that
besides the Vait. and the Kaus. Sutras, there had been in
existence independent Vait. and Kaus. Kalpas which elaborat-
ed the sacrificial rites etc. mentioned in these two Sutras.
The three texts other than the Kaus. and the Vait.
namely, the Nak峁tra-kalpa, the Santi-kalpa and the
Angirasa-kalpa could have very well been included among the
Parisistas. The NK is, indeed, counted as the first among
the Parisistas. There are other texts in the AVP which are
shorter, of an inferior value and are called Kalpas. Thus
there is Pistaratrya岣� Kalpa (AVP 6), Dh奴rta-kalpa (AVP 20),
Anulomakalpa (AVP 34) Asuri-kalpa (AVP 35) and Ucchusma-
kalpa (AVP 36). These texts, too, describe the rites which
are characteristically atharvanic. The Pistaratryah Kalpa,
for instance, lays down the worship of the image of the
Goddess Night for the sake of safety at night; the Dhurta-
(40) 啶� 啶溹た啶 啶曕げ啷嵿お啶距さ啶о啶� 啶� 啶� 啶氞啶掂 啶掂啶� 啶む啶� 啶曕 啶膏ぐ啷嵿さ啷堗 啶曕啶む啶た啶班た啶粪啶熰 啶さ啶むた
啶膏さ啶班 啶曕ぞ啶ぞ啶ㄠぞ啶啶班啶むた啷�
[ya jim墨 kalp膩vadh墨ta ya ma caiva峁� veda tena ke sarvai岣� ktubhiri峁ａ弓a峁� bhavati
savaraca k膩m膩n膩proti|
]
